, 1887-04-21
A Lively Day In the House of
Commons.
A Great Strike OF Iron MOulders
in the East.
APPOINTM ENTS.

district Of Illinois. The president to-
day appointed Col. Welsey Morritt to
be brigadier general, vice brigadier
general, Orlando b. Wilcox, retired.
INTER-sTATE COMMERCE.
In reply to Bishop Knickerbocker
OF Indianapolis, who inquired as to
the right Of railroad to transport
missionaries at special rates, the COM
mission writes IT has no power in the
premises. "There is no doubt" Judge
Cooley says, "of the right of railroads
to grant special privileges to religious
teachers, and in deciding in good faith
what they will do they can scarcely
be said to incur risk of penalties.
The penalties are for wilful violations
Of the law and not for errors of judge.
ment." Replies of similar purport
have been made to inquiries with re-
spect to transporting persons as acts
OF charity. Judge Cooley has adj
dressed the following letter to Hon. H.
l.. huldrow, acting secretary OF the
Interior
Dear ir.-The Interstate COM
merce commission acknowledged the
receipt from you of communication
asking for its opinion upon questions
as following:
First-It is lawful under the inter
state commerce act for common car
riers to make special rates to individu-
als in order that such individuals may
offer and make proposals to this de-
partment for transportation of Indian
supplies.
standardization transportation
over lines OF common carriers of In
dian goods for and on behalf of an in
diyidual with whom contract may be
made by this department for their
transportation from the place of pur-
chase to ultimate destination will be
considered and held rs carriage, stor-
age or handling of property at reduced
rates for the United States under sec
ton twenty-five of the inter
state commerce act. The
facts upon which the questions arise
are given in your communication, and
appear to be the following: That gov
ernment contracts for the delivery of
supplies needed for Indian service at
New York, Chicago and other points
where advertised for bids for trans
portation of supplies from the points
of purchase to the point where they
are to be made use of. This is suf-
ficient statement for the purpose of
an answer. The commission directs
me to say to you that it does not
understand that it has any gener-
III power to Construe the statute, and
which it, as organized, for the purpose
OF guiding or controlling the actions
of individuals in either private busi-
ness or public duties, except when
complaints under law are brought to
it's attention, or when relief, which is
in its power to grant, is prayed
for. The commission has therefore
uniformly declined to express
opinions on abstract questions of con-
struction at the request of private
citizens or organizations, deeming it
alike proper and prudent to do so.
Difference to the department of gov
ernment inclines the commission to
make on exception of your request,
especially ~ doubt regarding the
rights of the government might se-
riously effect bids for transportation
which are to he called for. Coming to
the question then, am still
further directed to say in its
view of the statement made by
you facts constitutes Of itself COM
plete answer to the supplies as you
show are delivered to the government
ut points designated and they are then
transportated at the cost of the gov
ernment to points where they are to
be made use of. Transportation is,
therefore "For the United States" in
the words of the interstate commerce
law and it is immaterial if it is done by
contract or when the government re-
ceives the benefit of free or reduced
rates as it must be presumed to do
when bids are made in reliance upon
expectation that such rates will be
granted.
IMPORTANT ACTION.
The following is synopsis embody-
ing the material points in by far the
most important action yet taken by
the Interstate commerce commission.
A decision is rendered in the case OF
two petitions, that of the Order Of Rail-
way Conductors and of the Traders
and Travellers union, which are of u
kind that render the decision especial
ly interesting on account of them
being representations of a very large
number of applications made to the
commission. The latter petition deals
with the manner in which the former
system of allowing additional free
baggage has been interfered with by
the Interstate bill. A petition of the
railway conductors asks for informa-
ton as to proper Interpretation of
the law as applying to the issuing OF
passes to railway employees and
their families, to those who make
railway service their business, while
temporarily out OF employment and in
search Of 3 ituations, and If transports
Ion or reduced rates are provided for